<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Wardour Castle is located near Shaftesbury, Wiltshire in South West England. The Castle was built by John, 5^th Lord Lovell on land previously owned by the St Martin family.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pReVRTTSHxE/TivKUbH_JpI/AAAAAAAAD2g/cTdxnwPX2Bo/Old_Wardour_Castle_ruins_-_geograph.org.uk_-_694506.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pReVRTTSHxE/TivKUbH_JpI/AAAAAAAAD2g/cTdxnwPX2Bo/Old_Wardour_Castle_ruins_-_geograph.org.uk_-_694506.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="258" /></a></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Old Wardour Castle</strong></span></span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Photo by Mike Searle </strong></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>(image from Geograph Project Collection)&nbsp;</strong></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>(Creative commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License) </strong></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The castle was bought by Sir Thomas Arundell in 1544. He, a staunch Roman Catholic, was executed for treason in 1552. On his death the castle was confiscated, but later bought back by his son Sir Matthew Arundell.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In May 1643 Thomas, 2^nd Baron Arundell was away on King&rsquo;s business when Parliamentary forces besieged the castle. His wife 61 year-old Lady Blanche Arundell and 25 retainers defended the Old Wardour Castle for 5 days, only surrendering when two mines exploded under the walls. </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After Lord Arundell died his successor returned in 1644 and besieged the castle for four months before retaking it</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However instead of honouring the terms of surrender the Roundheads had first imprisoned and then executed Lady Blanche.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The damage sustained by the castle was so great that the castle was never repaired. Abandoned in the 1700s its ruins have since been incorporated in the grounds of nearby New Wardour House.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s_zGtNyC6oM/TivKXXb4ffI/AAAAAAAAD2k/_D8GnwjqHZA/s640/Wardour_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_603734.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s_zGtNyC6oM/TivKXXb4ffI/AAAAAAAAD2k/_D8GnwjqHZA/s400/Wardour_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_603734.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="207" /></a></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Old Wardour Castle ruins</strong></span></span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">&nbsp;<strong>Adapted from a photo by Trish Steel </strong></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>(</strong><strong>image from Geograph Project Collection)&nbsp;</strong></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>(Creative commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License) </strong><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lady Blanche has not given up; her ghost did not abandon the castle. At twilight she appears on the walls, haunts the grounds and walks down to the lake.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The family died out in the 20^th century and it is unlikely that one of the castle&rsquo;s supernatural events will be repeated. White owls, seen as harbingers of death, would flutter round the castle as a warning of an approaching tragedy.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Wardour Castle was used for some scenes in the modern film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. What would Lady Blanche, or her ghost, have made of Kevin Costner?</span></div>